Dream Job

An interesting article appeared online today: Mike Weir is involved in designing a golf course. Here's the link to the article http://bit.ly/m3caPq by Sympatico's Robert Thompson.
Obviously, a Pro, especially a PGA Pro, will provide some design insights that would enhance an architect's plan. Mike now joins the ranks of Nicklaus, Norman, Player, and a host of others who have lent their brush-strokes to golf course design.
I'm reminded of the early days here at Victoria Park East. As a young teenager in the mid-1970s, I was around here a lot; picking the range, planting trees, cutting grass, etc. and I overheard many comments - or, was spoken-to directly - by some of our members and public golfers, basically giving their two-cents worth on golf course design. "You guys should'a done this... you guys should'a done that... planted more trees here, smaller bunkers there, too many dog-legs... too much water, not enough water, bigger tee decks..." You get the picture. And East Course architect Rene Muylaert was no slouch - he designed about 30 golf courses in Ontario, including Brooklea, Glen Eagle, Pheasant Run, and Caledon Country Club.
It's fun being an arm-chair architect. But many of us don't appreciate the skill and thought-process that goes into designing a golf course. With the construction of our new Victoria Park Valley course, I was privy to seeing architect Scott Covell's planning strategies develop from Step One. And believe me, it's no armchair job!